The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-25

was that I never saw The baby until
the christening some few weeks after.
wards.
In the meantime / bad again ex-
amined the mysterious negative, and
had made a few prints from II. [
showed them 70 my father and sold him
the circumstance. / had also hinte
regarding the occurrence. in Arthur's
presence, but the matter seemed 10 be
regarded more as a joke than otherwise,
"hoRever, We were all lnyired to the
christening, ano the name selected was
Arthur Frederick, and strange
enough, upon reaching my sister !.
home l discovered one o. the mystical
photos in my pocket book. ithout
any such reminder. 1 could never
have FORGOTTEN the angelic beauty of
that little face, but having just left nv
room after l made my toilet, with my
eyes fresh from that picture. you may
imagine my mental condition when
/ Eunice met me in the spacious hall, and
terally threw her baby into my arms,
excla'ming, There, Fred, isn't he
! lovely?'
Il could not reply, and staggering to
lounge. l detuged the little fellow with
kisses, while my eyes filed with tears,
eV oked by Il sentiment so strange as to
be positively understandable. managed
in the hustle of the surroundings
| to conceal my emotions. and
under the pretense that l had
mislaid some papers, rushed to my
room, and for some ten minutes or
more [ could not decide whether my
intellect had, or not, deserted me.
when | became more cool, [ drew
from my OvercOat pocket that weird
and now 1t seemed almost Internal,
photograph, and again and again COM
pared it with my sisters baby. It was,
was obliged to confess, absolutely and
unQuestionably, the very image of my
nephew, and strange to say, every ar
tiCle of dress cOTrespOnded In the
photograph, remembered noticing 4
very peculiar pattern of needle-work,
on the front of he dress, which was ex-
posed as the silken wrapper lay par
TALLY unfolded. The design was entirely
unlike anything which | had befNre
seen. and, sure enough, the peculiar
needle work was there II every detail,
precisely like the picture; indeed, every
article and each Ornamentation ap-
pended, was reproduced with q fidelity
at once artistic and astounding.
Il was so bewildered by the excite
ment Occasioned, that could take no
part in the festivities of the even
ing, and retired as early as possible,
only to dream myself almost INTO III
sanity. could not sleep, and on the
following morning when we started
hOmeWaTd, had high fever which
only Jet me after q months illness,
and nearly cost me my life. While
coafined TO my bed, my father and
Arthur had conversed regarding the re-
mark bic photograph, and one day it
SEEMS. my mother found copy of it in
NV coat pocket. She had no doubt but
that the picture had been taken in the
ordinary course of events, but still she
was unable to explain how it came
about that Arthur looked so wild, and
why the baby was seemingly suspended
in mid air.
Gradually, the whole affair came
out, and now it is no secret in the
family yet we are as much in doubt as
ever as to the explanation of the strange
freak
"You may call it spirit photo
graph and explain it to your satisfac-
ton IN any way you may desire, but I,
the bsby's parents, and the rest OF the
family are totally incapable of solving
the mystery"
At this j1ncture, Mr.. Harcourt arose
from his seat, and remarking that he
wished to introduce his sister, her hus.
band and the baby, we crossed the
aisle of the car and were soon engaged |
in & rafting conversation, the subject !
of which was Fred's Christmas Story. |
Mr.. and Mrs. Selvyn corrOborated the !
statements made to me, and assured |
me that despite their inability to ex-
plain the facts, the incidents really had |
occurred just as Fred had related.
Then" said to Mrs. Gelvyn, Fired |
really made q splendid picture of your |
baby before it was born, and dressed it !
with clothing then uDmsdel"
Eyes" said Mrs. SelVyn. more re- !
markable than that. for it was before l |
ever met the baby's father, wasn't it,
Arthur"
Mr.. selvyn said. 81 shall never for
get my sensation while Fred was taking |
that photograph, and If had never |
learned of anything peculiar regarding |
it, would have sworn that some power |
me at the time, the like Of |
which l never before nor since ex-
perienced."
Personally, had nothing to say. l !
was dumhfounded st the recital, and !
upon taking my leave, Fred promised |
to send me print from the super
natural photo" 1t came, and ever
since then, it seems to me that | ana
for almost anything to occur |
some great and wonderful revolution |
in the social or political status of the |
country-anything, Or everything, pro-
vIds it be in some manner associated |
with that most beautiful, and most |
baby bow, whose photo
graph was BY the subtle and unknown !
influences OF the inner world, go Indeli-
bly, imprinted side by Side with his |
parent.